The present invention relates to converting a hydrocarbon feed to light olefins, especially to propylene and ethylene. In particular, the present invention relates to conversion of a hydrocarbon stream containing C4 to C8 olefins and/or paraffins, through the use of a spherical catalyst consisting of silicalite with a non-acidic binder, to propylene and ethylene.
A low cost supply of light olefins, particularly ethylene and propylene, continues to be in demand to serve as feed for polyolefins production, particularly polyethylene and polypropylene production. Propylene is an important chemical of commerce. In general, propylene is largely derived from selected petroleum feed materials by procedures such as steam cracking, which also produce high quantities of other materials. At times, there exist shortages of propylene, which result in uncertainties in feed supplies, rapidly escalating raw material costs and similar situations, which are undesirable from a commercial standpoint.
Propylene, a light olefin consisting of three carbon atoms wherein two of the carbon atoms are joined by a double bond, has a great number of commercial applications, particularly in the manufacture of polypropylene, isopropyl alcohol, propylene oxide, cumene, synthetic glycerol, acrylonitrile and oxo alcohols.